was damn well going to control where I chose to walk. It was probably just as well that I arrived at the alleyway where Balud’s shop was located before anyone decided to take me on.
As per usual, the little street was deserted. I stalked down to the door and rapped on it sharply. When there was no immediate answer, I knocked again. From within came a sound of clattering and muttered expletives. Well, at least the little troll was in.
When the door eventually opened, and Balud peered out, I remained standing on the doorstep, hands on my hips. “Didn’t you get the memo?”
He stared at me, unblinking.
“Hello? Balud? There was a council meeting just now. Why weren’t you there?”
He slammed the door shut. I only just had enough time to jump out of the way to avoid being thwacked yet again in the face. Okay. Perhaps I needed to calm down a little and be nicer. I knocked again, albeit more gently this time.
The door opened half an inch. “I’m sorry,” I called in through the gap. “I’ve been having a bad day. Well, a bad week. More like a bad year. I didn’t mean to sound so tetchy.”
Silence answered me. I tried again. “I was just wondering if maybe you’d made any headway in finding something to defeat Endor. You know, the necromancer chappie? The one who might kill us all if we don’t stop him?”
The door opened a fraction more.
“You did say that you were going to look for some kind of materials that might help us,” I coaxed, “you know, being the best Otherworld weapons shop that the country has to offer, and all.”
Clearly, flattery will get you everywhere. A small gnarled hand finally snaked out and beckoned me inside. Grateful, I stepped over the threshold and the door banged loudly closed behind me. I jumped, startled.
“This might have once been the best weapons shop,” the troll grunted. “It’s not anymore.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
He snatched up a glossy sheet of A5 paper and thrust it in my face. “Look.”
My eyes scanned it. It was an advert for Wold’s Weaponry. ‘THE BIGGEST RANGE AND THE BEST PRICES’ proclaimed the banner in capital letters. I smacked myself in the forehead. “The Batibat’s shop is still open,” I said, surprised.
It hadn’t even occurred to me. Endor had forced the Batibats to work for him, including through this shop, as well as up at Haughmond Hill where Corrigan and I had confronted him. I’d had Alex investigate it to find out what information he could. In fact, the only reason that we knew anything at all about Endor’s master plan had been from what the Batibat who ran the shop had told him. I’d just assumed that, by dint of our discovery, it would have been shut down. I was pretty confident Alex had already gotten all the potentially useful information there was to get out of her. And yet it wouldn’t hurt to pay another little visit and see if there was anything else that he’d missed.
“Yes, little girl,” spat Balud, “it’s still open. And undercutting me at every turn.” He waved the advert in my face. “How am I supposed to compete with these prices? It’s outrageous!”
“Do you think Endor’s still in contact with her?” I mused thoughtfully. “It’s unlikely he’d risk it, or let her into his confidence. But perhaps she’s got some clue as to where he might be holed up.” I should have gone to check on her before now. I was an idiot.
Balud looked at me as if to confirm the fact that I was crazy. “Did you hear what I said?” the troll demanded. “She’s putting me out of business!”
“Oh, yes, that,” I bobbed my head, attempting an air of brisk sobriety. “I can talk to her about it. Maybe ask her to look at her prices?”
“Or make sure she shuts up that shop and never tries to start up any kind of business ever again.”
Somehow I didn’t think that was how capitalism was supposed to work. I nodded slowly though. “Er, yes, I could maybe ask her to do that too.”
Balud’s eyes narrowed at me suspiciously. I smiled at him. “I’ll see what I can do. Honest.”
He grunted in doubtful acquiescence. “So what happened to your face?”
“Huh?” I was momentarily confused.
“Your face. You have a most arresting bruise.”
“I walked into a door.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Really,” I said, mildly protesting.
He crooked his finger towards me. “Come with me.”
“Well, actually I thought